Today, while I was at work, I was explaining to a client how we "baby" horses when their emotions start to raise. When horses get scared, anxious, happy, hungry, depressed, we have ways of "babying" them through the emotions. We have ways of helping the horses learn to deal with situations of high emotional stress. And I thought, it is amazing how much better I treat my UP (my horse) than I treat myself. How I treat him, how I treat myself and how he would treat me if he could seemed something to work out.
I treat my horse with the utmost respect and care. I always brush UP when I go to see him and when I brush him, I do not tug on the tangles without respect to his nerve endings; I slowly work out the tangles with conditioner. I talk with UP while I brush him, about how he feels, if he is cold, I check for any sort of injury. I would certainly never inflict injury upon that body, despite the fact that UP has an imperfect body. I would never allow anyone to neglect any injuries he may incur; I would care for them daily, with the utmost respect for his body.
I always play a little bit with UP before I ask him to let me ride, preparing him to handle the emotions that come with a workout. I am gentle with him and I try not to have unrealistic expectations for him. I certainly do not expect him to be perfect everyday. When I get on and ride, I never expect more from him than he can do. I never ask him to work harder than his body is prepared to do. I always ask him to warm up accordingly before getting into the difficult, new work. All the emotional and physical preparation is meant to help UP deal with all the new emotions and new stresses of learning.
I carefully take care of UP's nutrition. I meticulously choose a diet for him, making sure it changes with the weather and changes with his activity level. I try to make sure there is a healthy level of roughage and concentrate. I try to supplement his diet to some of the bodily stressors he has. I make sure he gets MSM on a daily basis to help his joints work smoothly. I do not obsess about his weight or shape; I obsess over his health.
I do not expect perfection from UP. I expect perfect imperfection from UP and I greatly value these perfect imperfections a great deal. They are an opportunity for me to learn. I do not expect him to meet any social ideal about what a horse should be. I expect UP to be my friend. I do not expect UP to handle emotions as if they were easy. I expect UP to need support and I am willing to be that support.
UP is willing to be my support and he would treat me as well as I treat him if he could. If UP could be my owner, UP would try to take care of my emotions and my physical health. UP would love it if I would allow me to treat myself as well as I treat him. When I can treat myself that well, UP and I would be so much closer; we would be truly as one. As close as we are now, the ED/SI is always an issue he has to help me with and I never let him. Mutuality would be so important to our relationship. If only I would treat myself as well as I treat my UP.
I treat my horse with the utmost respect and care. I always brush UP when I go to see him and when I brush him, I do not tug on the tangles without respect to his nerve endings; I slowly work out the tangles with conditioner. I talk with UP while I brush him, about how he feels, if he is cold, I check for any sort of injury. I would certainly never inflict injury upon that body, despite the fact that UP has an imperfect body. I would never allow anyone to neglect any injuries he may incur; I would care for them daily, with the utmost respect for his body.
I always play a little bit with UP before I ask him to let me ride, preparing him to handle the emotions that come with a workout. I am gentle with him and I try not to have unrealistic expectations for him. I certainly do not expect him to be perfect everyday. When I get on and ride, I never expect more from him than he can do. I never ask him to work harder than his body is prepared to do. I always ask him to warm up accordingly before getting into the difficult, new work. All the emotional and physical preparation is meant to help UP deal with all the new emotions and new stresses of learning.
I carefully take care of UP's nutrition. I meticulously choose a diet for him, making sure it changes with the weather and changes with his activity level. I try to make sure there is a healthy level of roughage and concentrate. I try to supplement his diet to some of the bodily stressors he has. I make sure he gets MSM on a daily basis to help his joints work smoothly. I do not obsess about his weight or shape; I obsess over his health.
I do not expect perfection from UP. I expect perfect imperfection from UP and I greatly value these perfect imperfections a great deal. They are an opportunity for me to learn. I do not expect him to meet any social ideal about what a horse should be. I expect UP to be my friend. I do not expect UP to handle emotions as if they were easy. I expect UP to need support and I am willing to be that support.
UP is willing to be my support and he would treat me as well as I treat him if he could. If UP could be my owner, UP would try to take care of my emotions and my physical health. UP would love it if I would allow me to treat myself as well as I treat him. When I can treat myself that well, UP and I would be so much closer; we would be truly as one. As close as we are now, the ED/SI is always an issue he has to help me with and I never let him. Mutuality would be so important to our relationship. If only I would treat myself as well as I treat my UP.
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